I'm relatively new to this forum, so I'm not sure if this has been brought up before so sorry if it has. Anyway, what are do you typically bet on race? WPS? Exactas? Pick _? Et cetera.

Personally I used to be be big on supers and exactas and now I am big on WPS and exactas with the occasional tri or super mixed in. I would like to get into the pick bets but I would like to master the WPS betting before I tackle the picks.

Everyone has there own preference for how to bet the races. If your new to the game, try placing different sorts of bets to see what works for you AND what works with your budget.

I personally enjoy laddered WPS bets and straight, boxed, or partial wheel exactas. Which way I go depends entirely on the race. I never expect a huge score with my WPS bets, but I use it to at least build my bankroll a little. Enough that I can keep betting all day at the track.

I love exacta bets. How I play an exacta usually depends on the size of the field of the race. My confidence in my picks, tends to go down with more horses in the race. If its a 6 horse race, I go for a straight exacta. If its a 14 horse race, I usually end up doing a partial wheel exacta.

These two types of bets work for me and my budget. Pick 3, 4, and 5s can get a little costly to play. Grant it if you hit one, the payout could be huge.

The bulk of my action consists of win betting. I generally stick with a 2-1 minimum acceptable odds in 6 horse fields or less,3-1 in 9 horse fields,4-1+ in 12 horse fields. I know many locals here employ the ladder concept and say it works for them. Whenever I check my activity in 100 bet segments, I'm always seeing a much greater return with the additional cash placed on the win end over spreading it on place and show. Since 1982,I've never made a place or show wager,but that's me and what works for me.

The pick 3 can be a great wagering opportunity as long as the 1st leg doesn't have a 2-5 shot that seems the most probable winner. I keep my investment between $18.00-$27.00 and never feel very comfortable with any "single".

A laddered WPS bet would be like $2w, $4pl, $8show some do $2-$5-$10 (or similar incremets $5-$10-$20) to give them chances to cover their bet if the horse runs third, make a small profit if he runs second and cashing for it all if the horse wins.

Others use win-double place (no show) in smaller fields or a race where they might beat the favorite but figure he's gonna end up third

I would say I make bets in the following order of frequency... exactas, win, doubles, place, pick 3s, tris, supers. However, I am not smart, you have to beat the takeout and the best way to do it is through pick 3s and 4s. Money is only taken out once compared to playing race after race individually and money is taken out each time. Very few people can grind it out and beat the take like that. On the other hand, every single race is different.. like a snow flake, and there are no set rules on anything having to do with anything about racing. The same puzzle never repeats itself. Playing a 9-2 shot to win in a wide open field does not make any sense when certain exacta combinations that you have a strong feeling about are paying solid. On the other hand... in another race, a 9-2 shot might be a great play to win if your horse stands out and you have little clue about the others... why waste your money by guessing about exactas.